White Feathers Turned Black
by Chibi Shimmy
Summary: Edea dies and everyone's depressed. No one is taking it harder than Squall. But when Rinoa finally gets Squall to go, how will he mourn the loss of Matron in front of everybody? SQUINOA Read & Review please & thank you!


Everyone was extremely depressed at Matron's funeral. Well, who wouldn't be? She was the one that took care of us, she was a sorceress, she was... darn. No one can beleive it.

I didn't even consider coming to the funeral, afraid that I might show my weaker side. But everyone gave me crap saying to respect her. Heck, I do respect her. She's basically my mom. Does everyone think I'm uncaring, well, no. Not everyone.

Rinoa... She was the one who told me to go. The only one who convinced me to go out of everyone else. She really does have her ways. But Hyne, I love her, and she loves me. One out of two women who loved me. Her and Matron. But only one person who really loved me lives, and the other one was stabbed.

Yeah, I said the s word. Stabbed. Edea Cramer was stabbed on Thursday by some maniac who worshipped Ultimecia. Little did he know, Matron wasn't the sorceress who was with us to kill Ultimecia. It was Rinoa, and if he was smarter, he possibly could've killed Rinoa instead. Some people in garden have asked who I wished deserved to die. What was my answer? That maniac.

Before I knew it, we were at the Funeral. Everybody who went to Edea's orphanage, who knew her, or whoever else loved her, was there at Matron's funeral. Either crying or just staying silent. Of course I was the one who stayed silent. That's me, the lone wolf I am.

"Squall?" I heard a voice whisper. I turned to see Rinoa. Her black hair matched her black outfit. She did look beautiful, but not even Rinoa could cheer me up. "Do you wanna go up to Edea?"

I nodded and Rinoa wrapped her arm around mine. Goosebumps went up my arm, but I ignored it and walked up to the coffin. Matron was elegantly beautiful. Her long black hair, dusted with pink flower petals, shined across the silk pillow like padding. She looked like she was wearing her usual dress, only a little bit more elegant. Her lips formed a smile, as if she died peacefully. But she didn't, someone stabbed her to death.

"You can touch her, you know" Someone tapped my shoulder. I turned to see Headmaster Cid, Matron's husband and the Headmaster at Garden.

His eyes were bloodshot and his face was about as pale as Matron's. He must have been mourning also. Nonetheless, he stroked Matron's cheek before a tear slid down his cheek. I did the same and stroked her hand.

It was so cold my hand snapped back. I'm not surprised if I hadn't touched death itself. Matron's hand was usually so warm, and her grip was always so gentle. I lifted my head up so the tears would sink into my head. Just then, the preacher stood up and ordered everyone to sit. Rinoa dragged me to the first pugh with Zell, Quistis, Selphie, Irvine, and Seifer.

"We are gathered here today to mourn the loss over our dear Edea Cramer" The preacher sounded like Martin Luther King Jr. Everyone listened to him. "She was the most loveliest woman I've ever met. Depite her Sorceress powers, she opened an orphanage and took care of young orphans. Until one day, she was possesed by the sorceress of the future, and I dare not say her name"

"Yeah, you better not" I mumbled looking down at the ground. Rinoa slapped my arm and continued listening.

"But, thanks to her loyal orphans, who grew up as SeeDs, helped Edea overcome the sorceress's power and returned to her kind self. When the sorceress of the future deceased, Edea lived a normal life as a normal woman, until the day she died. By special request, we've chosen the SeeD commander, and one of Edea's orphans, to come and say a few words. Squall Leonhart, please come up here" The preacher motioned me to come up.

This has to be a joke. I can't get up in front of people and say stuf about Matron without crying, and I don't want people to see my weak side. Rinoa nudged me to go up there, and that's what I did.

When I approached the podium, I had no clue what to say. Matron was this, Matron was that. I don't know! I miss her, but I can't vocally explain how I miss her, and talking about her isn't going to make the pain go away.

"I ah, um" I mumbled. "I can't do this"

I pushed the podium aside and ran out of the church, feeling everyone's eyes on me. As soon as I made it outside in the cold February air, I let out all my feelings. I sobbed, and teared. I haven't cried this much since Rinoa was in a coma. Speak of the devil...

"You okay?" Rinoa asked as she crouched beside of me on the church's parking lot. I only replied with sigh and turning my head.

"Okay, I'll start over" She crouched on the other side of me. "Why did you just run out?"

I sighed and turned to her, my eyes grey and dry. "This is exactly why I didn't want to go"

"Because you were afraid to show the real Squall?" Rinoa sat down. "Or because you were afraid?"

"Afraid of what?"

"Afriad to face the truth"

I turned my head away. I honestly didn't know what to say. I felt like I had to say something, not just another blank answer. "Whatever"

Rinoa giggled. "Despite all of this tragedy, you still keep your distance"

Did she not get what was going on? She was obviously trying to get me to break down in front of her. I just looked at her in confusion and turned away. But she kept on talking, and she lied her head on my shoulder. "I went to see a funeral that made me break down like this"

"My mom died in a car wreck. I was only six when this happened, and my dad never told me. I remember he got phone call from the hospital, and I happened to be walking by, he started crying and told me "Rinny, go to your room for a few minutes" I was delirious about what was going on. He made a mistake when he realized I had to come, or else he would get a bad reputation as a general. He took me to see the coffin... and..."

Rinoa started off and started taking those pre-crying breaths. She finished after she choiked out a sob. "I asked my dad, 'Daddy, why is mommy sleeping in the church?' He told me she wasn't coming back anymore. He told me what happened when we sat down on the pugh. I cried and asked why he didn't tell me and lied. He never said anything. This is when we started being very distant from each other. I shouted how much I hated him for what he did, for everyone to hear. Then I ran out the church, and ran two miles to home. I kept screaming how much I missed mom. And that she was never coming back"

Rinoa started crying on my shoulder. I turned and hugged her. She pushed me away and said, "No, what I'm saying is, I understand how much you miss Edea. Why didn't you say anything when you were at the podium?"

I figured I should give her my fair share of my burden, since she did. "I want to keep my memories of Matron inside. I hate saying crap like 'Matron was this, Matron was that' That would just make the hurting worse. I didn't want see her dead either. I want to remember when I last saw her happy and her eyes bright, not dead"

Rinoa smiled at me and pulled me into a hug. A tear slid from my cheek, but I made sure she didn't see. "I'm sorry Squall. I know how much you'll miss her"

"I love you, Rinoa" I said, stroking her raven hair.

"I love you, too" She replied with a whisper and a kiss on my neck.

I turned to face her. Her hair that was once pulled up fell down on her cheeks. Her brown almond shaped eyes glistening while they gazed into mine. Her petite mouth forming a smile. She leaned in to kiss me passionately, and I let her. It only lasted for a few moments, and I broke the kiss and smiled a little. Not a goofy grin, but a smirk.

For the rest of the funeral service, Rinoa and I stayed at the parking lot until everyone was gone from the burial. We went to the cemetary. The first stone under the tree shined and sparkled. It was right next to Raine Lorie's tombstone. I read aloud to Rinoa.

**EDEA CRAMER**

**Beloved Wife, Care-Taker of Many, Never Forgotten**

**1973-2007**

"Matron, you were like a mother to me. Rest in peace" I whispered as I dropped a single rose and hugged Rinoa as the wind blew and the rose petals blew away, forming a heart on both Matron's and Raine's grave. I could hear the wind whisper to me.

"I'll take care of Edea for you. I love you, my son"

**I cried when I wrote the final parts of the story. By the way, I don't think that Edea is in her thirties, I just made a very educated guess. I'm not permanetly switching to Final Fantasy VIII and not writing Kingdom Hearts fanfics anymore, I'm writing both. But this was just a little FFVIII oneshot. No flames please. I don't own the game, blah blah blah.**


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